She Asked for a Chair. They Fired Her. The Jury Gave Her $11.2 Million.

A chair. That was all Alice Roque wanted. After 19 years of showing up to work, she asked for a place to sit. The company's response cost them $11.2 million.

Nineteen Years, One Request

Alice Roque had worked as a medical screener at Octapharma Plasma's San Diego location since 2002. By 2021, she was 74 years old - and the company had reassigned her from a seated role to one that required her to stand. Her back pain followed quickly. She asked her employer for a chair or stool as a medical accommodation. Then she asked again. Octapharma denied both requests. Instead, her supervisor suggested she resign.

Roque didn't resign. She took medical leave, backed by doctors' notes. Before her leave ended, Octapharma fired her.

The Part That Made the Jury Go Nuclear

A San Diego jury found Octapharma liable for failure to accommodate, age discrimination, and failure to prevent discrimination. In the first phase, they awarded $2.2 million - covering physical injuries, future pain, past and future emotional distress, and a major depressive disorder Roque developed afterward. In the second phase, after finding the company acted with malice, fraud, and oppression, they added $9 million in punitive damages.

Total: $11.2 million. Proskauer's legal blog headline called it a jury "going nuclear." The verdict date was September 6, 2024.

Zero Dollars in Lost Wages

Here is the detail that makes this verdict extraordinary: Alice Roque waived all economic damages. She asked for nothing in back pay or lost salary. Every dollar of the $11.2 million was for pain, suffering, emotional distress, and punishment. The jury decided that what Octapharma did to a 74-year-old woman who just wanted a chair was worth $11.2 million - before she'd asked for a cent of wages.

What Employers Took From It

Legal commentators immediately flagged the case as a warning. Employment attorneys noted the verdict demonstrated the "unpredictability" of jury trials in California - and the steep cost of ignoring a simple, medically reasonable request. Octapharma denied wrongdoing throughout. The jury disagreed, by $11.2 million.

She worked there 19 years. All she wanted was a chair.